Trump “Extremely Frustrated” as US Pushes Ukraine to Cede Territory for Peace

President Donald Trump is “extremely frustrated” with the ongoing stalemate in the Ukraine war, according to his spokeswoman, Karoline Leavitt. She stated that the president prefers action over further discussion to resolve the conflict. The situation in Ukraine has brought attention to the latest US peace proposal, which reportedly urges Kyiv to make significant territorial concessions to Russia.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky detailed the US plan on Thursday. He said Washington wants only Ukrainian troops to withdraw from parts of Donetsk. A demilitarised “free economic zone” would then serve as a buffer. Russian forces would stay in the south and partially withdraw from northern regions they have not formally annexed.

According to the Washington Post, the US is proposing a “Korean-style” scenario for Ukraine. The plan includes a demilitarized zone from Donetsk to Kherson, with both sides keeping territorial claims, similar to North and South Korea.

The Zaporizhzhia NPP would not remain under… pic.twitter.com/kqbbjksHHB

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Zelensky outlined two key points of disagreement with the US proposal. These are the status of the Donetsk territories and the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. “We have two key points of disagreement,” the Ukrainian leader told reporters. He strongly criticised the logic of a unilateral Ukrainian withdrawal.

“Why doesn’t the other side of the war pull back the same distance in the other direction?” Zelensky asked. He said there were still “a great many questions” unresolved. The president reiterated that he has no constitutional or moral right to cede Ukrainian land.

Zelensky says US still pushing territorial concessions from Ukraine as part of peace plan
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He insisted any final decision must come from the Ukrainian people. This could happen through elections or a national referendum. Ukraine recently sent a 20-point counter-proposal to Washington.

Read: Zelensky Thanks Trump as Ukraine Peace Talks Continue

Under the US framework discussed, Russia would relinquish territory in Kharkiv, Sumy, and Dnipropetrovsk. Moscow has not formally claimed these northern regions. Russia did claim to annex Donetsk, Kherson, Lugansk, and Zaporizhzhia in 2022, despite lacking full control.

Ukrainian President Zelensky stated that Washington hopes to have the outline of a deal ready by Christmas. However, he does not see any signs that Russia intends to end its invasion. “I don’t see any indication that they want to stop the war,” he remarked. The conflict continues, with Russia claiming to have captured the town of Siversk on Thursday, a claim that Ukraine denies.